Pulse nightclub demolition set for March to make way for memorial

"Forty-nine people were killed and 53 wounded by a gunman at the nightclub in the early hours of June 12, 2016. Most of them were LGBTQ+ and Latine. The gunman was killed by police. It was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history up to that time but was surpassed by the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas the following year, which saw 58 people killed and 546 injured. The Pulse shooting remains the deadliest crime against LGBTQ+ Americans."

"The city of Orlando took over development of the memorial after a private nonprofit organization, the onePULSE Foundation, was dissolved in 2023. Last year, the City Council approved the purchase of the Pulse property and an adjacent vacant building and selected Gomez Construction Co. to clear the site and build the memorial. It is scheduled to start construction this fall, with completion expected at the end of 2027, according to the city's website for the project."

"The primary sources of funding for the memorial are the city, which has allocated $7.5 million; Orange County, which has committed $5 million; and the state of Florida, which has put in $394,000. The city is accepting private donations as well. The design is slated to include a reflecting pool, a survivors' wall, and 49 columns to honor all who died in the shooting. Artifacts were removed from the site beginning in December, including the sign, and placed in storage until they can be added to the memorial."

Demolition of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando will begin in mid-March to prepare for a permanent memorial to the 49 people killed in the June 12, 2016 attack. Most victims were LGBTQ+ and Latine. The City of Orlando assumed the project after the onePULSE Foundation was dissolved, purchased the site and an adjacent building, and hired Gomez Construction Co. to clear the property. Construction is scheduled to start this fall with completion expected by the end of 2027. Funding includes $7.5 million from the city, $5 million from Orange County, and state and private contributions. Planned elements include a reflecting pool, a survivors' wall, and 49 columns.

Read at Advocate.com